"Common Burdens from Capitalism" by Paige Taylor

In Internal Family Systems a burden is described as an extreme idea or feeling that is carried by parts and governs our lives. Some common burdens that people experience are feeling deeply unlovable, worthless, or empty. These feelings are a core wound within us and impact many facets of our lives. Within capitalism many struggle with the desire to live a life that feels good for all parts of ourselves, and needing to participate in an unjust system in order to meet our basic needs. One burden that often shows up is the idea that one’s productivity is reflective of their worth as a person. It is extremely helpful for capitalism because it drives workers to work harder and harder in order to prove themselves. It can be very harmful for individuals, however, because through this lens you will never be good enough and it diminishes the value of anything that does not create profit. The idea that productivity is the most important thing we can provide also excludes many people, particularly disabled individuals who are not able to work within these constraints. Capitalism also focuses on the traits we do not like about ourselves, because if people hate the way they look, for example, then companies can sell us a solution. The burden of never being beautiful enough, thin enough, or successful enough is woven into our society and only serves to benefit capitalism. We are met with contradictory beliefs as well, such as having disdain for money and the way it is used to oppress, and needing to use it in order to function within society, or wanting to be true to your body’s needs while also ignoring them in order to complete tasks to make money. It may be helpful to see these ideas as dialectics, or two things that seem like opposites but can both be true at the same time. For example, we may struggle to live and work within a system that does not align with our personal values, however we must participate in capitalism in order to survive. Oftentimes when there are opposing ideas like this we end up bouncing back and forth between the two, in a constant argument inside our head. This is where acceptance can be helpful. Accepting that we must participate in capitalism (to an extent) in order to survive can alleviate the stress of constantly fighting between the two ideas. It also creates room for new thoughts and ideas, such as finding ways to engage in community mutual aid, discovering the most ethical ways of living within capitalism, and focusing on that which does align with our values. Accepting this does not mean that we agree with it, it just means that we are no longer denying its existence. This can also create room for us to explore how the different parts of ourselves interact with capitalism and begin to heal the wounds that it has created.

Written by Paige Taylor, LSW